The Chinese Ambassador’s assertion that there was no scope for a “compromise” in the military stand-off with India in the Doklam area and that the ball was in India’s court is perhaps the most belligerent statement to have come from a Chinese official in recent times. Such a precondition is not acceptable to India from either a political or a military standpoint.

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has destroyed two of India’s unoccupied bunkers. By reminding India of its defeat in the 1962 war, the PLA spokesman betrayed his lack of maturity in addressing sensitive issues. Our defence minister should not have got drawn into a war of words with a junior functionary by claiming that the India of 2017 was different from the one of 1962. This led to another rebuff from the Chinese side.

This is not the time for rhetoric. Both sides should abide by agreements, including the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement of 2012.